Google, amidst the woes of fines and culture, continues to make rakes in sales

Google has faced its share of problems lately, but one thing it does not have to worry about: The search giant is still bringing masses of money.

In recent weeks, Alphabet, the parent company of Google, has suffered through a litany of troubles. Last week, the executive branch of the European Commission inflicted Google a record $ 5 billion fine for what it considers to be anti-competitive practices surrounding the Android mobile operating system. This is in addition to the reaction of Google employees against the role of the company in the development of artificial intelligence technology for the use of the army US. The company also had to deal with the ability to read your inbox versus the capacity of third-party Gmail app manufacturers.

But when it 's business, everything is fine.

In the second quarter of 2018, Alphabet reported sales of $ 32.65 billion, exceeding analyst estimates by $ 32.19 billion. Earnings per share was $ 11.75, excluding the impact of the EU fine. Analysts expected an average of $ 9.66, according to the Wall Street Journal and FactSet. This EU fine, however, boosted Alphabet's profits, reducing earnings to $ 4.54 per share

"We delivered another quarter of very good performance," said Ruth. Porat, financial director of Alphabet, in a statement

. The company's shares have risen nearly 5% after trading hours.

Still, Google is facing problems that could possibly affect its business.

The EU's fine is specifically dependent on how Google bundles its own applications and services, such as Chrome and Search, into its mobile operating system. Some agreements with phone manufacturers state that these apps are preinstalled on devices, helping to maintain Google's dominance in web search and other areas. Google said last week that it would register fine as a charge for the very moment that the company is calling it. But if a $ 5 billion fine may seem appetizing, it's a money change for a company that can pull out as much revenue in just two weeks.

Still, the fine could have broader implications. If Google is forced to change the way it does business with Android phone manufacturers, this could potentially affect the scope of the company in the search. This, in turn, could reduce advertising expenses, the financial vital element of Google.

Google also has other questions to answer because it pursues different sources of revenue.

The cloud business division, under the direction of Diane Greene, has embarked on lucrative military contracts. But employees have challenged the company's decision to participate in the Maven Project, a Department of Defense initiative to develop a better AI for the US military. More than 4,000 employees reportedly signed a petition to Pichai asking the company to cancel the project. Last month, Google declared that it would not renew the Maven contract nor would it pursue similar contracts.

A week later, CEO Sundar Pichai issued ethical guidelines regarding the development of the company's AI. He said Google would not create technology that would be used for weapons, but said that Google would continue to work with the military.

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